Wellesley Movers

MOVING TIP #13 (of 14)

Packing the Truck

The general rule of thumb is to load the heaviest stuff, usually furniture and book boxes, near the back of the truck. This will enable the truck to drive better on the road and avoid “fishtailing,” where the back of the truck can swing out dangerously during a turn. Stack the book boxes up against one side of the truck, making sure not to stack them too high. On the opposite side of the truck, the couch can be fit in, but done in such a way so it takes up the least amount of space as possible.

A good way to load in mirrors is to pin them against the sides of the truck. But when you do this, make sure you wrap them in moving blankets first. Moving blankets, also known as sound blankets, usually are included in the price of the moving truck. Moving blankets serve as your trusty friends during a move. These blankets act as shock absorbers during the bumps and turns of a long move so your belongings can arrive at their destination safe and sound. As an added safety measure, use bungee cords as well to secure your belongings. Most moving trucks are equipped with side rails that allow for sash and bungie cords to be tied, which allow you to cinch down heavy furniture to ensure that it stays put.

Try and avoid staking any to more than five feet high. If boxes – even heavy ones – get stacked much more beyond this there runs a risk of falling boxes. This of course is just a general rule. The main goal in packing up a truck is always safety and proper utilization of space. And usually these two things go hand in hand. A friend of mine as long boasted the ability of being a really efficient packer. He calls packing “tetrisizing,” referring to Tetris , the famous video game in which you quickly arrange geometrical objects – based on their shape - as they fall. If you look at packing as playing a game of Tetris, you’ll be on the right track and have some fun to boot.